Metallic tie and rail-fastener.



W. J. SHELDON.

METALLIC TIE AND RAIL FASTENER.

APPLIOATION FILED 3mm 17, 1911.

Patented Nov. 14, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

INVENTOR. I/ zl Jfieidalv WITNESSES:

ATTORNE Yb W. J. SHELDON. METALLIC TIE AND RAIL FASTENER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 17, 1911.

Patented Nov. 14, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

9Q, INVEN TOR. 2/ 'l/(JJ/wZdoh/ m a A m M kw xi :d: 1.. 1 I l I l l I II I I I I l l l w l l I I ll gmm ww WITNESSES A TTORNE Yd" UNITED STATESPATENT onrion.

WILLIAM JOHN SHELDON, 0F YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH T0HARRY R. GREENLEE, OF -YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO.

METALLIC TIE AND RAIL-FASTENER.

Specification. of'Letters Patent.

Application filed June 1'7,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM JOHN SHEL- DON, a citizen of the UnitedStates of America, residing at Youngstown, in the county of Mahoning andState of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inMetallic Ties and Rail-Fasteners, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to metallic ties and rail fasteners, and theobject of my invention is to obviate the necessity of using wooden tiesor sleepers, spikes or bolts and nuts as the supporting fastening meansof a track.

My invention aims to provide a tie and rail fastener having thefollowing qualifications:First, a tie possessing suflicient strength andfirmness to support the great weight that travels over a railroad.Second, the requisite means of elasticity to prevent injury to therolling stock of a railroad. Third, a tie having a bearing surfacepossessing the necessary superficial area for the adequate support ofrails and which will afford sure and ready means for the fasteners ofrails. Fourth, a tie that is extremely light, durable and can bemanufactured at a minimum cost and installed by unskilled labor. Fifth,to furnish the tie with a fastener that will prevent lateral andvertical displacement of rails mounted thereon. Sixth, to provide afastener that may be repeatedly adjusted to compensate for wear.Seventh, to provide an inexpensive and durable fastener that willpreserve the alinement of rails and allow for expansion and contractionof the same.

The tie and rail fastener having the above characteristics will behereinafter specifically described and then claimed, and reference willnow be had to the drawings, wherein like numerals denote correspondingparts throughout the several views, in which Figure 1 is a sideelevation of the tie. Fig. 2 is a plan of the same. Fig. 3 is alongitudinal sectional view of the tie. Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectionalview looking at the under side of the top of the tie. Fig. 5 is a planor developed view of a blank from which the tie is formed. Fig. 6 is anend view of the tie partly broken away and partly in section. Fig. 7 isan enlarged side elevation of a detached fastener. Fig. 8 is a frontelevation of the same. Fig. 9 is an enlarged plan of 'a detached lockingmember. F ig; 10 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same taken onthe line X-X of Fig.

9, and Fig. 11 is an end view of the same.

A tie in accordance with this invention .is made of an oblong blank ofmalleable metal which can be bent and shaped to provide a hollow oblongbody having dimensions approximately the same as the present type ofwooden tie. The body of the tie consists of a top plate 1, side walls 2and inwardly projecting bottom flanges 3 and 4.

These bottom flanges have the confronting or meeting edges thereofconnected by dovetail tongues 5 and dovetail grooves 6, the former beingcarried by the flange 3 and the latter being formed in the flange 4. Thetongues and grooves are adjacent to the ends of the tie and to furthermaintain the rectangular formation of the tie the ends there of areprovided with caps 7 having flanges 8 fitting over theends of the tie.The side walls 2 and the flange 3 intermediate the ends thereof, arebent upon the dotted lines 9 to provide inwardly projecting strengthreinforcing portions 10, these portions providing cavities 11 adapted toreceive the ballast of a roadbed. Besides strengthening and addingrigidity to the tie, these portions have the advantage of preventinglateral displacement or spreading of one tie relatively to another, andin consequence of such advantage, the tie can be advantageously useduponmountainous roadbeds where land slides and washouts often occur. Theflange 4 has an extension 12 to overlap the edge of the flange 9 formingthe portion 10, as best shown in Fig. 6 of the.

drawings. Y

The top plate 1 of the tie is punched or stamped, adjacent to the endsthereof, to provide sets of upwardly projecting transverse ribs 13adapted to engage the edges of the base flanges 14 of rails 15'set uponthe tie'between said ribs. The top plate 1 of the tie is furthermorepunched to provide fastener openings 16 between the confronting ends ofthe ribs 13. The under side of the top plate 1 is provided with integralbeveled sets of enlargements 17 and 18, the former being locatedadjacent to the outer ends of the tie and the latter at a point beneaththe rail seats of the tie. The top plate 1 has additional enlargementsthatv are toothed or serrated to provide racks 19 con- I ers rectangularin cross section and adapted H to fit in the openings 16. The fastenershave the upper ends thereof provided with heads 21 somewhat similartospikes, said heads overlapping the base flanges 14 of the rails 15.The lower ends of the fasteners 20 have the side walls thereof cut away,to provide gripping heads 23 at the lower ends of the fasteners.

To retain the fasteners in engagement with the tie, whereby the railswill ,be held upon the tie, I employ locking members, each membercomprising a plate 24 having the outer end thereof narrowed, as at 25and provided with transverse teeth 26 and an intermediate lip 27, thelip 27 being of a less depth than the teeth 26 to permit of aninstrument, as a crowbar being inserted between the confronting ends ofthe teeth 26. The plate 24 is provided with longitudinally alining slots28 and the inner ends of said slots are enlarged to form openings 29adapted to receive the lower ends of the fasteners 20. The top of theplate 24, at the sides of theslots 28 and the openings 29, is providedwith sets of beveled enlargements 30 and 31, said enlargements beingbeveled reversely to the enlargements 17 and 18.

After the rails have been positioned upon the tie and the fasteners 20placed in the openings 16, the locking members are then placed in theends of the tie prior to placing the caps 7 thereon. The locking membersreceive the lower ends of the fasteners 20 in the openings 29 and thenby pushing inwardly upon the locking members, said members ride upon theshoulders 32 of the heads 23 of the fasteners. As the members are pushedinwardly the enlargements 30 and 31 engage the enlargements 17 and 18respectively of the tie and as the faces of such enlargements arebeveled the locking members will be forced downwardly to draw thefasteners downwardly in the openings 16 and thereby snugly hold theheads 21 of the fasteners in engagement with the base flanges of therails 15. As the inward movement of the locking members progresses theteeth 26 recede over the racks 19 until the locking members have beendriven home or as far inwardly as possible, when the looking memberswill be firmly held in position. The caps 7 can then be placed upon theends of the tie and the tie tamped in the ballast of a roadbed.

When it is desired to remove the rails from the tie, the caps 7 areremoved and a suitable instrument as a crowbar inserted between theteeth 26 of the locking members to force the ends of the membersdownwardly to move the teeth 26 out of engagement with the racks andallow the instrument to grip the lip 27 of each member and assist inpulling the members outwardly to release the fasteners 20.

From the foregoing it will be observed that the locking members areconcealed within the tie and not subjected to the weather or to injuryby brake riggings or other parts of rolling stock contacting with thesame. It is practically impossible for the fasteners to be sheared offand these fasteners cooperate with the ribs 13 in maintaining the railsin. alinement and the track of a prescribed gage. It is apparent that aless number of ties can be used than is the present practice and that inobviating :the use of bolts and nuts the service of a track-walker canbe dispensed with.

I would have it understood that the invention is susceptible of suchvariations as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is 1. In a metallic tie and rail fastener, an oblong hollowmetallic body having the side walls thereof provided with reinforcingportions, transverse ribs carried by the top of said body and adapted toengage the base flanges of rails, fasteners adapted to extend throughthe top of said body and hold the base flanges of rails thereon, rackscarried by the under side of the top of said body, and locking membersadapted to be shifted into engagement with the lower ends of saidfasteners and engaging said racks.

2. In a metallic tie and rail fastener, an oblong hollow metallic bodyadapted to support rails, depending beveled enlargements carried by theunder side of the top of said body, fasteners adapted to extend throughthe top of said body and retain rails thereon, locking members arrangedin said body and adapted to engage the lower ends of said fasteners,beveled enlargements carried by said locking members and adapted toengage the enlargements of said body, and means carried by the underside of the top of said body and adapted to be engaged by said membersto retain said members in a locked position.

3. In a metallic tie and rail fastener, an oblong metallic hollow bodyhaving the side walls thereof provided with longitudinal reinforcementsadapted to anchor the body in a roadbed, caps detachably mounted uponthe ends of said body, transverse ribscarried by the top of said bodyand adaptedto engage the base flanges of rails mounted thereon,fasteners extending through the top of said body, locking membersadapted to engage the lower ends of said fasteners, means carried bysaid body and by said members and adapted to draw said fasteners i. intosaid body by an inward movement of 13-0 said members, and means carriedby said tie said locking members engaging the enlarge and adapted tolock said members therein. ments of the tie body, and means arranged 4.In a metallic tie and rail fastener, an within said body and adapted tolock said oblong metallic tie body adapted to support members therein.15

5 rails, depending beveled enlargements on the In'testimony whereof Iai'fix my signature under face of the top of fslaid tie body, fasin thepresence of two witnesses. teners engaging the base anges of the railsand extending into said body, locking mem- WILLIAM JOHN SHELDON bersdetachably mounted in said body and Witnesses:

10 adapted to engage the lower ends of said J. R. HAHN,

fasteners, beveled enlargements carried by HERMAN C. HOLTZWARTH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

